The Latest in High Efficiency Air Conditioning Systems

Posted
August 31, 2016 at
9:05 am

Air conditioners are a major source of energy usage in the Southwest Florida area, and as energy prices rise, energy-efficiency becomes even more important. If you have an air conditioning system that is several years old, there may be significant savings to be had by upgrading to a newer model. The latest high-efficiency air conditioning systems have many innovative features that reduce energy usage while improving your comfort and increasing reliability. Here are a few of the most important features to look for in a new high-efficiency system.

High SEER Rating

Older air conditioning systems had SEER ratings as low as 13. And as they become older, they become even less efficient, even if they have been maintained relatively well. Today’s high-efficiency air conditioning systems have SEER ratings of over 20, and they can reduce your cooling costs by 20 percent or more.

Two-Speed Compressors

Older systems had single-speed compressors that would run for a while at full speed, then shut down to regulate the temperature of the home. Not only does this process inhibit dehumidification, but it’s also inefficient, noisy, and hard on the compressor. Two-speed compressors can run at full speed to reduce the temperature quickly, then switch to a slower speed to move a constant volume of air slowly. This eliminates uneven cooling and allows the compressor run at a slower, more efficient speed the majority of the time.

Variable Speed Air Handlers

Air handlers in older systems turn on and off as needed to moderate temperature, leading to noisy and inefficient operation. Variable-speed air handlers can adjust the volume of air by speeding up or slowing down as necessary. This allows them to better adapt to changing temperatures which eliminates unevenness and allows them to run slower, which reduces energy consumption.

Efficient Coil Designs

In high-efficiency air conditioning systems, the evaporator and condenser coils have been redesigned to increase surface area, reduce restrictions and increase the efficiency of the heat transfer process.

For more information about high-efficiency air conditioning systems, talk to our team at Conditioned Air, serving the Southwest Florida region.